The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh marked a successful launch for its new initiative aimed at enhancing expatriate participation in the upcoming national election, with over 4,000 registrations recorded on the first day of the "Postal Vote BD" mobile application.
The app, which introduces a hybrid postal ballot system (combining online registration with manual voting), was officially launched by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on November 18. Registration for expatriates began on Wednesday evening. As of 7:30 PM on Thursday, a total of 4,026 expatriate voters had successfully registered through the app. The breakdown showed strong engagement from men (3,783) and women (243).
Registration is currently open for Bangladeshis residing across East Asia, South America, and Africa. EC Secretariat data revealed the countries with the highest initial registration numbers: • South Korea: 2,144 voters • Japan: 828 voters
Other countries that saw immediate registrations include South Africa (405), China (382), Egypt (69), Libya (67), Uganda (19), Mozambique (16), Mauritius (20), Liberia (12), Nigeria (11), and Botswana (9).
The EC confirmed that the number of registered expatriate voters is steadily rising. The overall 35-day registration process will run in phases across 143 countries worldwide until December 23. The registration schedule is segmented regionally: • November 19–23: East Asia, South America, Africa • November 24–28: North America, Oceania • November 29–December 3: Europe • December 4–8: Middle East (excluding Saudi Arabia) • December 9–13: South and Southeast Asia • December 14–18: Middle East (including Saudi Arabia) • December 19–23: Government officials, election duty officers, and those in legal custody.
